No Hai Blud 4 me!

We used to have this wonderful housecleaner - she was giant and very black and she was always talking about her "hai blud". As in "don't you be doin' that - you give me the hai blud!" She was wonderful and I have spent the last 24 hours channeling her.

BUT no more.

I got to thinking about the blood pressure thing. I realized that my new wonderful doctor was going to get all fixated on this high blood pressure thing until I could prove to her that she was hallucinating. If I go next week and my blood pressure is down, then she'll invariably want to go for 2 out of 3. Why fuck with it?

So... yes... I went to the fire station. I have two very nearby to pick from. I figured if the first one was weird about it, I'd try the second one. But, the first one was all over it. This really cute firefighter went and got the equipment and did me just as I stood there. AND gave me this handy little card with stroke info and a place to record the readings with the date... So I can take it back to Ms. Dr. Worry Wort and prove that I'm cool.

This is what I found on the web...

Doctors generally agree that systolic readings of 120 to 140 and diastolic readings of 70 to 90 are normal.

Cute fire fighter guy wrote on my card: 124/86

I'M SO NORMAL!!!!! ha!

No Hai Blud 4 me!

We used to have this wonderful housecleaner - she was giant and very black and she was always talking about her "hai blud". As in "don't you be doin' that - you give me the hai blud!" She was wonderful and I have spent the last 24 hours channeling her.

BUT no more.

I got to thinking about the blood pressure thing. I realized that my new wonderful doctor was going to get all fixated on this high blood pressure thing until I could prove to her that she was hallucinating. If I go next week and my blood pressure is down, then she'll invariably want to go for 2 out of 3. Why fuck with it?

So... yes... I went to the fire station. I have two very nearby to pick from. I figured if the first one was weird about it, I'd try the second one. But, the first one was all over it. This really cute firefighter went and got the equipment and did me just as I stood there. AND gave me this handy little card with stroke info and a place to record the readings with the date... So I can take it back to Ms. Dr. Worry Wort and prove that I'm cool.

This is what I found on the web...

Doctors generally agree that systolic readings of 120 to 140 and diastolic readings of 70 to 90 are normal.

Cute fire fighter guy wrote on my card: 124/86

I'M SO NORMAL!!!!! ha!

And... elsewise...

I cannot believe how elated I am about the stupid blood pressure thing. I can't believe I let it get to me like that. See??? That's why not going to a doctor is so much better. Being ignorant has its rewards... But, now the toothpaste is out of the tube so I'm stuck with it. So I am glad to the max that I went to the fire station!

My whacky neighbor across the hall called this morning. This woman moved in with her husband about the same time I did. I asked her to keep a key to my unit and she agreed. I used to see them fairly often. They owned restaurants around town. Then they got a divorce and he moved out and I rarely saw her. About 5 or 6 years ago I ran into in her the elevator and she reminded me about the key and asked if I still wanted her to keep it and I said yes, please.

Last Thanksgiving, just as I got off the plane in Seattle from Mom's, I realized that I did not have my keys. I called her. She was home and saved my normal blood pressure ass. But, that has really been the extent of our acquaintanceship.

This morning she called and apologized for the last minuteness but asked if I could water her plants and scoop her litter while she was gone for a long weekend. I said I'd be glad to. I went over to get the drill and she was so organized about it. She has a hose hooked up so watering is easy. She uses flushable litter and the box is right next to the toilet. Easy peasy. I was then very glad I had said yes.

Her place is the exact polar opposite of mine - it is crammed with stuff. Before I did my remodel, I had way too much stuff. I got rid of half of it. She has 4 times more than I had then. Or more. I will take pictures. It's amazing.

I need to make a library run. And I need kitty litter and cat food. And I need to get some puzzles up on my puzzle page.

Oh and I got a note from one of my clients asking if I was available in August and September for some work!! It's a project I hate but it's billable hours so I'm not complaining.

Things are definitely looking up...

And... elsewise...

I cannot believe how elated I am about the stupid blood pressure thing. I can't believe I let it get to me like that. See??? That's why not going to a doctor is so much better. Being ignorant has its rewards... But, now the toothpaste is out of the tube so I'm stuck with it. So I am glad to the max that I went to the fire station!

My whacky neighbor across the hall called this morning. This woman moved in with her husband about the same time I did. I asked her to keep a key to my unit and she agreed. I used to see them fairly often. They owned restaurants around town. Then they got a divorce and he moved out and I rarely saw her. About 5 or 6 years ago I ran into in her the elevator and she reminded me about the key and asked if I still wanted her to keep it and I said yes, please.

Last Thanksgiving, just as I got off the plane in Seattle from Mom's, I realized that I did not have my keys. I called her. She was home and saved my normal blood pressure ass. But, that has really been the extent of our acquaintanceship.

This morning she called and apologized for the last minuteness but asked if I could water her plants and scoop her litter while she was gone for a long weekend. I said I'd be glad to. I went over to get the drill and she was so organized about it. She has a hose hooked up so watering is easy. She uses flushable litter and the box is right next to the toilet. Easy peasy. I was then very glad I had said yes.

Her place is the exact polar opposite of mine - it is crammed with stuff. Before I did my remodel, I had way too much stuff. I got rid of half of it. She has 4 times more than I had then. Or more. I will take pictures. It's amazing.

I need to make a library run. And I need kitty litter and cat food. And I need to get some puzzles up on my puzzle page.

Oh and I got a note from one of my clients asking if I was available in August and September for some work!! It's a project I hate but it's billable hours so I'm not complaining.

Things are definitely looking up...

Puzzles

Thank you chrisglass and ruralrob and machupicchu and vaneramos for letting me use your beautiful photographs for today's batch o' puzzles. I think a lot of my puzzle fans have air conditioning and are making good use of it. I got three notes this morning from people asking for some new puzzles. That... is a record!

Puzzles

Thank you chrisglass and ruralrob and machupicchu and vaneramos for letting me use your beautiful photographs for today's batch o' puzzles. I think a lot of my puzzle fans have air conditioning and are making good use of it. I got three notes this morning from people asking for some new puzzles. That... is a record!

Now this rocks

I just got my Comcast bill which I usually just trash (it's paid automagically) but today I opened it and read it and lo and behold I learned that my Public Radio stations are on the cable system!

This means... I can TiVo Fresh Air! and This American Life!!! And listen to them when I want to!! Seriously?! How cool is that? When did this happen? I knew my digital cable box had music stuff. I keep an hour of Oldies on TiVo for when I need it. But this NPR option just rocks my socks!

Now this rocks

I just got my Comcast bill which I usually just trash (it's paid automagically) but today I opened it and read it and lo and behold I learned that my Public Radio stations are on the cable system!

This means... I can TiVo Fresh Air! and This American Life!!! And listen to them when I want to!! Seriously?! How cool is that? When did this happen? I knew my digital cable box had music stuff. I keep an hour of Oldies on TiVo for when I need it. But this NPR option just rocks my socks!

Grandpa

My Mom's Dad was the nicest man. Not the most dynamic. Not the most successful. But nice and loving and my Grandpa. He was born and raised in Dallas, Texas in a German community. He did not learn English until he went to school. His name was Fritz. Somewhere along the way he moved to Oklahoma City where he spent the rest of his life. He was a clerk in a printing company. He worked for The Man whom he revered. He went to work every day in a car pool which fascinated me. He lost his only son in World War II on the battlefield in France.

He had horrible eyesight and horrible headaches all the days of his life but he still managed to be my wonderful Grandpa. He had the greatest smell. It was part Campho-Phenique (which my Grandma firmly believed could cure anything) and part cigar and mostly Grandpa.

He built a rollar coaster for us in his back yard. And he taught me to love baseball.

He thought green cars were bad luck and only bought blue ones. On Sundays, after church, we'd go to Classen's Cafeteria for lunch. The Classens were members of their church. This was a big deal because we did not have cafeterias in North Carolina. To be able to see all the food and pick what you wanted? What a great idea! They had fabulous fried chicken and beautiful jello in a million different colors. Grandpa always always always left his hat there. Every Single Sunday.

When he retired, he and Grandma moved into one of the country's first continuous care places. It was a pre-cursor to the kind of place that Mom and Dad moved to. It was church affiliated and they ended up living there for 25 years. They (Grandma and Grandpa) lived in a little cottage in the back. When Grandma got too frail to clean and Grandpa got too blind to see the dirt, they moved into the nursing wing. They each had a room and their rooms were connected by a bathroom. It was really quite a perfect arrangement.

The place had a hair salon and Grandma used to go every week. Grandpa went too. He was the only man allowed in there. He was blind as a bat but he'd sit there and much on their donuts and tell all the old ladies how wonderful their hair looked.

He started losing it before Grandma died. He would wake her up in the middle of the night all frantic that she must call the police right away because someone had stolen his pants. Finally they had to move him into the constant care section. He spent the last 6 years of his life as a broccoli. A very well cared for broccoli but still he knew nothing. He finally died when I was in my mid-30s and he was 91 or 92. He did not have high blood pressure.

Grandpa

My Mom's Dad was the nicest man. Not the most dynamic. Not the most successful. But nice and loving and my Grandpa. He was born and raised in Dallas, Texas in a German community. He did not learn English until he went to school. His name was Fritz. Somewhere along the way he moved to Oklahoma City where he spent the rest of his life. He was a clerk in a printing company. He worked for The Man whom he revered. He went to work every day in a car pool which fascinated me. He lost his only son in World War II on the battlefield in France.

He had horrible eyesight and horrible headaches all the days of his life but he still managed to be my wonderful Grandpa. He had the greatest smell. It was part Campho-Phenique (which my Grandma firmly believed could cure anything) and part cigar and mostly Grandpa.

He built a rollar coaster for us in his back yard. And he taught me to love baseball.

He thought green cars were bad luck and only bought blue ones. On Sundays, after church, we'd go to Classen's Cafeteria for lunch. The Classens were members of their church. This was a big deal because we did not have cafeterias in North Carolina. To be able to see all the food and pick what you wanted? What a great idea! They had fabulous fried chicken and beautiful jello in a million different colors. Grandpa always always always left his hat there. Every Single Sunday.

When he retired, he and Grandma moved into one of the country's first continuous care places. It was a pre-cursor to the kind of place that Mom and Dad moved to. It was church affiliated and they ended up living there for 25 years. They (Grandma and Grandpa) lived in a little cottage in the back. When Grandma got too frail to clean and Grandpa got too blind to see the dirt, they moved into the nursing wing. They each had a room and their rooms were connected by a bathroom. It was really quite a perfect arrangement.

The place had a hair salon and Grandma used to go every week. Grandpa went too. He was the only man allowed in there. He was blind as a bat but he'd sit there and much on their donuts and tell all the old ladies how wonderful their hair looked.

He started losing it before Grandma died. He would wake her up in the middle of the night all frantic that she must call the police right away because someone had stolen his pants. Finally they had to move him into the constant care section. He spent the last 6 years of his life as a broccoli. A very well cared for broccoli but still he knew nothing. He finally died when I was in my mid-30s and he was 91 or 92. He did not have high blood pressure.